I WILL get there!!

Tinkerbelle2000

Happy New Year Kirsty - here's to the best year of your life:j:j

Take care.
Tink xx

kirtsypoos

Thanks for all the lovely new year messages Hope you all had a lovely evening too!

The becks blue did the trick and we didn't leave the party until after 1AM - that's a record for me since being pregnant!

I can't believe this is the year my dreams come true

I've taken all the christmas decs down today and done a spring clean of the downstairs - I'm going to do a floor at a time but desperately need to do a tip trip after todays clearing out so that is my plan for tomorrow morning. I'm not back at work until Wednesday, much to OHs disgust :rotfl:

I'm preparing for a HR battle on Weds though, having never had to deal with maternity leave in a professional or personal case before now I am extremely confused over how annual leave works. I had put in to work half days in Feb by using 10 days of annual leave, but I know this leaves me with 13 days (plus bank hols) I assumed I would be paid out for them but our accountant has said no, use them or lose them :eek: so I'm planning to take the other 13 days from 5th March and then start my official maternity leave once my annual leave has run out.... the only thing confusing me now is bank holidays. I have no idea if I'll be paid for them as usual or if I need to use extra days to cover what I would normally get for bank holidays, if that makes any sense? If anyone knows about this and can advice, I'd be very grateful!!

WannabeFree

I can't be sure so don't take my word but where I work they say to take you AL before you start your ML. Maybe speak to ACAS I'm sure they'll be able to help.

It's getting close now! x

kirtsypoos

I think I'll call ACAS tomorrow - technically HR is my department but we have never had maternity leave before so I'm lost!

If all else fails I will take holiday at the start of my mat leave and delay my mat leave for a couple of weeks.

Had a growth scan today and his head is on the 98th centile with his tummy on the 90th - he is measuring 2 weeks ahead at this point :eek: I'll never be the same again after that size head!! Let's hope the head growth slows down soon...

reality_check

Happy new year, this is going to be a great year for you, how exciting!!!

My work pay bank holidays and can take holidays before or at the other end of maternity leave plus you accrue your full year off so can always use them before you go back…

We get 6 months full pay, 3 months half and 3 nothing so helps to have your holidays at the end. Or we can spread our wages throughout maternity so you are always getting something each month, not sure if that’s an option at your place? xx

kirtsypoos

I'm just at a bit of a loss with it to be honest reality - I work in such a male dominated industry that the issue hasn't cropped up before and this is the only company I've ever been responsible for HR in!

I go straight into SMP, no pay from work at all so every little really does help and part of me would prefer to be paid my holiday on a monthly basis but if I take it all in March and have mat leave start later it will be no different, just an extra lump sum rather than monthly. Our budget works next year with just SMP so maybe having a lump sum buffer in the current account is a better option? Thinking aloud here in case you couldn't tell from my rambling!

Am going to call our sometimes helpful accountant tomorrow and get the info I need from her if I can....wish me luck! Had a quick chat with boss this morning and he got very flustered and worried about when I would be coming back so easier just to try and sort it myself I think! xx

kirtsypoos

Well after stressing about it yesterday afternoon, I emailed our sometimes helpful accountant and she apparently isn't feeling very helpful at the moment as she has read and ignored my email :cool:

My sister has her 20 week scan this afternoon so looking forward to a picture of my newest niece to be later

I'm trying to rejig the budgets next year based on whether I get paid monthly for holiday or whether I just take it in March and keep the funds in our emergency savings....doesn't make a massive difference other than allowing a little more budget flexibility if it goes into to joint bills account. Doesn't make much difference if the money is still there either way though does it? I'm so confused!

My next to me crib (present from my Grandparents) is being delivered to my Mom and Dads today and I'm picking up the wallpaper tonight ready for the decorator to start the nursery next week. We still don't have anything apart from clothes at our house, I wanted to get to 28 weeks before having any large items in the house....I'm 28 weeks today but the nursery isn't going to be finished with decorating and carpet until 28th Jan so we will aim to get everything over to ours around then :eek: it will be here before I know it! xx

enthusiasticsaver

Exciting stuff. My daughter and son in law have just bought the next to you Chico crib in pink as it was reduced by £50 and they are expecting their second girl early May.

kirtsypoos

I hear Grandchildren are the best ES

You can get such good deals at the moment. We bought it before we knew it was a boy so have gone grey - very neutral but at least that will work for the next one too

enthusiasticsaver

Yes my daughter said the only reason they went pink is it was cheaper and this will be her last baby. For her first she was bought a Moses basket by well meaning grandparents (not us) but it only lasted around 6 weeks and our granddaughter then had to be moved to the cot as it was too small and uncomfortable for her. Check mattress thickness as we found when we bought a thicker mattress for the travel cot/bassinet we used for our granddaughter she slept so much better.